Furniture trends: unique styles, seamless technology

Shown above: JSP Industries’ Altezza ensemble

By Marni Andrews

When Lucie Carbonneau, general manager of Quebec-based, family-operated JSP Industries, stayed recently at a three-star property in Toronto on business, she chose a hotel that was not a client and that had been recently renovated. Since JSP produces wooden furniture for three-star hotels and higher, Carbonneau noted that, while the room looked nice, the dresser drawers were crooked and did not slide easily, and furniture finish touchups were already noticeable. But the experience she really remembers was that of the halogen lightbulb mounted in the headboard falling out and just missing her head while she was reading. The lightbulb remained on the night table where she’d placed it even after cleaning staff had come and gone the next day.

Carbonneau says that hoteliers today want to create a “wow” factor for customers but certainly not this way!

It is a given that well-designed furniture can help create a memorable experience for a hotel guest. But Leo A. Vogel, senior vice-president, sales & marketing, American of Martinsville, which provides custom and semi-custom case goods and upholstered furnishings for mid- to high-end market segments, thinks that good design can go even farther.

“Furniture creates emotion, whether whimsical, collaborative, or eclectic,” claims Vogel.

Helping guests relax

Meanwhile, German scientists just want to figure out how guests can relax. They have engineered a hotel room of the future in a giant Berlin laboratory to show how technology can do just that. There are no straight lines, the room is round, and it’s all white. Scientist Nikolay Dreharov says research has shown that straight lines and corners in hotel rooms leave guests feeling depressed, according to a BBC News report on the topic. But press a button and lights will turn the room any colour desired. The room also features voice recognition capabilities that operate the bed and an “intelligent floor” with sensors that turn lights on ahead of where the guest is going.

Interactivity for Gen Y

At the latest hotels in hot places such as Shanghai, the hotel room of the immediate future (not quite the Berlin model) has already arrived. Key to the new concept are attempts to lure a younger generation (Gen Y) into the hotel market, one that can be very different from that preferred by their baby boomer parents. The latest in sleek high technology is a baseline assumption for this demographic as is a focus on sustainable, green design. What’s a little less expected is an emphasis on inviting public spaces that offer opportunities to multitask, from socializing to working. This group, currently in their 20s to early 30s, highly values doing things together.

At Shanghai’s new Park Hyatt hotel, group interactivity is present immediately upon check-in, which is very unorthodox itself. Guests are escorted straight to their room upon arriving at the hotel, where a cadre of service professionals are waiting. A butler assists with unpacking while check-in payment and identification is expedited and a housekeeper brews fresh tea. Another staff member plugs in the guest’s laptop. It is the senses and sensibilities that are being well taken care of here in a very luxurious, most civilized yet communal fashion.

Vogel of American of Martinsville agrees. One of the biggest trends he’s noted in public areas of hotels is “cluster seating and large ottomans for collaboration space for guests to interact.”

According to a recent Time magazine feature, the Gen Y customer represents only nine per cent of business travellers at present, but there are 75 million in this demographic grouping overall, so that percentage will grow dramatically.

“Like the changing focal point of the home—the combined kitchen/family room where everyone now hangs out—the Gen Y customer wants a similar seamless experience on the road,” says the Time article. They want casual food available at any time, free Internet, and self-service check-in/checkout.

Seamless technology

Needless to say, all this focus on seamless technology requires a lot of guest testing to get it right. The Marriott has chosen to integrate its model suite testing program with the University of Delaware with its “eXperimental guestroom” concept based in Newark, DE. A robotic vacuum cleaner, an air-powered showerhead, and an alarm clock on wheels are just some of the ingenious products offered here.

Hospitality software developer AltiusPar is on the same wavelength in Europe. Last year they launched a hotel of the future at a citizenM hotel in Amsterdam. The technology remembers a guest’s likes and dislikes and will reproduce them upon the next check-in by the guest. Guests can customize multiple online themes such as “relaxation,” “romance” or “business” and set TV content, room temperature, lighting scheme, etc. All of this is automatically adjusted once guests check in.

Furnishing trends

“Inspired” room created by created by Burgess and Associates for the Inspired 2008 show in Toronto last year—Photo courtesy CPNA

Lorne Grey, president of CPNA Contract Partners of North America, which manufactures and distributes high-end furnishings, says that “cheap just does not work anymore.”
“It is not uncommon now to see a three and a half star property opting for a look more like a five-star hotel. I see more of this type of thinking expanding and becoming the norm for quality operators,” comments Grey. “In 2009, most operators know that quality FF&E will help them with their bottom line. Higher occupancy and higher room rates are a result of furnishing nicely.”

CPNA is also a sponsor of a new annual fall design event called InSpire, in which four designers provide ideas for their ideal hotel room.

Laurenne Emond of Emond Enterprises, which supplies chairs, barstools and tabletops to the hospitality industry, says that clients want to create their own signature style.
“We work closely with designers to help achieve clients’ goals,” she says.

“Most hotels are looking for a product that is going to last a long time. If they don’t have a good warranty backed by a great company, they are not interested,” says Vern Hay, president, Fort Marketing Ltd., who sells banquet chairs, tables and staging to all sectors of the industry.

Eugene Honcharuk, president, Contract Supply Corporation Ltd., agrees that economics and value are very important since a hotel is a business above all. He is seeing customers moving toward a “well-polished, well-coordinated custom look.”

“Our experience tells us that hotels tend to go through a seven-to 10-year cycle in terms of renovation and décor. Inexperienced operators might purchase only on price point but this is where we often see problems,” he says. “A good quality commercial product should be able to be repaired if damaged; this generally will lower operating costs if the only other option is to replace. As an added benefit, a good quality commercial frame can be refurbished, lowering the cost of the next seven- to 10-year cycle.”

Updating older furniture

Kevin Maven, director of franchise operations, Choice Hotels, with more than 280 locations coast to coast, says that more and more he is seeing capital budgets geared to updating or replacing older furniture.

“Price v. quality, there is no secret here,” he says. “It’s a combination and the buying decision is based on the location of the property, targeted clientele and the value available to the owner.”

“The biggest trends we’re seeing in guestrooms are HDTV-functional chests, workstation desks, full wall upholstered headboards with wall panels, and a variety of colours integrated throughout signature pieces such as a dresser,” says Vogel of American of Martinsville.

Metal has become a contemporary and practical alternative to wood, says Meyer H. Katz, managing director, Jetco Manufacturing, which offers furniture to the hospitality industry. He is excited about his new Canadian distribution rights for a “hot overseas trend” that he thinks will revolutionize seating in hotel banquet rooms and fine dining areas. The new chairs, although made of metal, are finished to look like wood and priced at just under $200.

Katz adds that furniture and chair finish colours remain conservative with colour accents provided through custom upholstered cushions. Popular colours for PVC Wicker and Rattan range from natural tones of honey to dark browns as well as black and white.

Kelly Sutherland, head designer for Hospitality Designs, notes that guestroom design, even in franchised properties, is trending toward a “boutique” look with owners looking for unique furniture styles. Colours are lightening up though brown and neutral wood stains remain popular but instead of dark espressos, Sutherland is recommending medium walnut stains, which show fewer scratches than the darker colours.

Fabric texture/variety

“Texture and variety are very big in fabrics right now… to give rooms a more ‘homey’ feel,” Sutherland says. “Chocolate and blue colour palettes are pretty overdone so I encourage clients to move in another direction. And as much as purple is very popular these days, I suspect it is more of a fad than a trend as it will be hard to maintain as years go by.”

Howard Johnson Canada, which recently approved a new bedding standard for the Canadian brand, is focusing on earth tones and more white linens in terms of colour, according to Glen Blake, president, Howard Johnson Canada Franchise Systems Limited, with 49 properties across the country.

Another trend Blake has noticed is the move to create a guestroom experience that reflects a “home away from home” with an upgraded bed experience, energy-efficient lighting and an improved work environment with larger desks, brighter lighting, ergonomic seating and more office supplies. More room space is being created with slimmer designs in FF&E including flat-screen, wall-mounted TVs that eliminate the need for TV-disguising armoires. Finally, the introduction of single-cup coffeemakers will enhance eco friendliness.

Edith Wormsbecker, president, interior design firm MCM Interiors Ltd. in Vancouver, is seeing increased desire for comfort and convenience with a lot of built-in technology to accommodate computers, flat screen TVs, and lighting. Lighting is very important and is increasingly built in as well. She also notes rising demand for green or sustainable design for materials and construction.

Carpet out, laminate in

With a move towards sustainability, Motel 6 management has opted for an environmentally-friendly flooring option in its new Phoenix Prototype room and for retrofits going forward. Carpet is out while practical, durable “wood effect laminate flooring” made of 80 per cent pre-consumer recycled material is in. The inner wood core of the flooring is made of oak and cherry wood chips that would otherwise have been discarded or thrown into a landfill, according to Olivier Poirot, CEO, Accor North America, which operates more than 900 Motel 6 properties in North America.

Maintaining loyalty

C&C Furnishings Inc. designed this bedroom for Vancouver’s Loden hotel

Roger Phillips, president of Coquitlam, BC-based C&C Furnishings Inc., is finding that a tighter economic market is enhancing his ability to attract and keep the loyalty of his guests. When he began a recently completed upscale boutique hotel project in Vancouver that opened in December, some of the environmentally-sensitive materials he wanted to use from China were either not available or came at a premium, which limited their inclusion. However, due to the plummeting market, his Chinese suppliers were able to provide the once-premium green products at very affordable prices and he was able to include them in the project after all.

“Other than the penthouse, the whole project including millwork was manufactured out of two plants in China,” reports Phillips. “Quality was imperative for this client as they cater to an upscale market but, as with all properties, cost was also a factor. The Coquitlam plant produced the prototypes and guaranteed the quality, which enabled us to offer a comfort factor to the client.”

When working with out of country suppliers, the problems due to long distances and cultural differences can be hard to envision. Phillip Paskal, general manager, Hotel Concepts Ltd., which markets hotel furniture to franchise and boutique hotels in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean, experienced this firsthand with the five-star Terelj project he was working on in Mongolia.

“There were lots of language and cultural challenges,” says Paskal. “One morning the project manager came to work and found that half the workers had been moved to another project to handle an emergency. Or we would ship containers full of materials which were unloaded by the owner’s staff at Mongolian warehouses, but workers didn’t realize what they were unloading and would distribute items to other projects.”

The end result, however, was all good. According to Paskal, the project opened to accolades and received Small Luxury Hotels of the World accreditation.

The final word on quality and satisfaction rests with the customer, of course. Recently, Kevin Maven of Choice Hotels was staying at a Comfort Hotel & Suites in Peterborough, Ontario, and he overheard a couple who were checking in. Maven said the couple were frequent travelers and very happy with the Choice brand. It turns out that one of the things they appreciated most was the way that Choice properties had customized their furnishings to their local markets to provide individuality within the overall brands.